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Vanessa Bryant is tapping into her roots while honoring her late husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gianna Bryant during Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
The 40-year-old philanthropist and businesswoman shared a video wearing a stunning custom-made two-piece gown while posing in front of a mural featuring Kobe and Gianna. The black assemble featured a purple heart with the number “2” embroidered on a sheer mesh top with flower details and a tulle skirt.
Vanessa also wore the traditional catrina (skull) makeup and accessorized with a gold headpiece and a bouquet of matching flowers. “Amor Eterno~ Dia De Los Muertos ~ Kobe & Gigi,” she captioned one of her posts.
According to Vanessa, fashion designer Lily Martinez is the mastermind behind her impeccable look. “The #2 on my sacred heart for my Gigi, the golden basketball halo with 24 stars for my husband, the 6 butterflies on my flower crown representing my family… everything is so heartfelt and thought out,” she wrote. “The love and details you put into this do not go unnoticed.”
The Latina mom also hired photographer Kusha Alagband to capture the moment. “Yesterday I switched my activist hat for my real job. Had an opportunity to shoot the stunning @vanessabryant in an amazing gown made for Dia de los Muertos (sometimes called Dia de los Fieles Difuntos) – Day of the Dead,” she wrote. “Traditionally, November 1st honors deceased children and November 2nd honors deceased adults. Day of the Dead is celebrated passionately throughout Mexico, and especially so in smaller provincial towns and cities.”
Adding, “Far from being a morbid event, Day of Dead emphasizes remembrance of past lives and expresses celebration of the continuity of life. Local families will plan for Day of the Dead celebrations days, weeks, or perhaps even a whole year in advance. A focal point of the remembrance ritual is families creating ofrendas —altars with offerings to the deceased— which are set-up in homes or public spaces like parks or plazas, and also at local cemeteries where family members are buried. This is such a beautiful tradition… so glad I got to capture this day and share presence with this super woman.”
In addition to her late daughter, Vanessa Bryant shares Natalia, 19, Bianka, 5, and Capri, 3, with her departed husband.
In 2020 a helicopter crash killed Kobe Bryant, 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, 13-year-old Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, 46, 14-year-old Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, 46, John Altobelli, 56, Christina Mauser, 38, and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.
After an 11-day trial, in which Vanessa detailed the moment she learned first responders took graphic images of Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant’s remains and shared them with unauthorized people for entertainment purposes and not as part of the accident’s investigations, a Los Angeles federal jury ordered Los Angeles County to pay $16 million to Bryant and $15 million to Chris Chester , who lost his wife, Sarah Chester and their daughter Payton Chester.
After winning the lawsuit, Bryant donated her part to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to offers sports education to underserved and aspiring athletes.